Nearby Words
Synonyms
bɪˌtrɛradjective
1.
2.
decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
3.
having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical: an arbitrary government.
4.
capricious; unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for payment.
5.
Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value: an arbitrary constant.
noun
6.
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Arbitrary
is always a great word to know.
So is fraction. Does it mean:
| a number usually expressed in the form a/b, a ratio of algebraic quantities similarly expressed |
| a variable in a functional relation whose value determines the value or values of other variables, such as x in the relation y = 3x |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To arbitrary
Example Sentences
- We just need something less arbitrary than a coin flip.
- The result is an overly complicated and somewhat arbitrary system, but still much better than nothing.
- The result is that rents are completely arbitrary.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
arbitrary
early 15c., "deciding by one's own discretion," from L. arbitrarius "depending on the will, uncertain," from arbiter (see arbiter). The original meaning gradually descended to "capricious" and "despotic" (1640s).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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